


Score: Q to 12

by sanguinity



Category: Elementary (TV)
Genre: Calvinball, Gen, Scrabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-16
Updated: 2013-08-16
Packaged: 2017-12-23 16:20:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/928586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanguinity/pseuds/sanguinity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock refuses to confine himself to the Official Club and Tournament Word List. Joan refuses to spend any more of her time trying to make him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Score: Q to 12

**Author's Note:**

> For forensiphile and amindamazed, because [reasons](http://amindamazed.tumblr.com/post/58328400258) ([AO3](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2906009/chapters/6475835)). Originally posted [on tumblr](http://sanguinarysanguinity.tumblr.com/post/58363137464/amindamazed-forensiphile-its-been-a-long).

Watson plunked a large, rattling box on the floor next to Sherlock. It appeared to contain the contents of the game closet.

"Monopoly, Watson? I assure you, I do not need an object lesson in the crushing evils of capitalism. If I wish to feel despair, I can take a case on Wall Street."

Watson removed the Scrabble board and bag from the box, and placed them in front of Sherlock. “Calvin-scrabble.”

His eyes narrowed. “As in John Calvin?”

She shook out the Scrabble tiles between them. “Box rules plus two meta-level rules. One: each turn, you may initiate any new rule you wish. Two: while new rules may abrogate any given box rule, the Calvin-added rules are unrepealable. If a rule gets made during play, it stays.”

"This seems oddly contrary to the doctrine of predestination."

"Not when it’s predestined that I’m gonna win. Are you in?"

He grinned back at her. “I’m in.”

Watson drew the first turn. “Initialisms count. You want to play your beloved ‘IMLTHO,’ Sherlock? Be my guest.”

…

"Mandarin is permissible," Sherlock said. "Hanyu pinyin romanization."

Watson looked up from her phone. “Urban Dictionary is permissible.” She laid down her tiles, and showed him the screen.

"You just added that! I _watched_ you!"

"I’m sorry, Sherlock, am I hearing you arguing for a conventional and limited interpretation of the rules?"

Sherlock scowled at his tiles. “Every ‘U’ tile has an umlaut.”

…

"Vertical play is permissible." She stacked a word on a double-letter box.

"Damnit, Watson." He dug in the box for the chess clock. “Speed Scrabble.”

…

"Palindromes only." She turned over the miniature sandglass, hit the chess clock, and sat back in satisfaction. 

He grimaced. "And you have a palindrome, obviously." She had given him very little sand to work with. 

"And you don’t," she smiled. "Sand’s running."

He had seconds. “Pick a lock before play! And pass.” He turned the sandglass and slapped the clock.

She laughed. “ _That’s_  your Hail Mary, Sherlock?” She cast her eye over the rack of padlocks, selecting one of her favorites. She snapped it shut. “I’m insulted.” Twenty seconds later, it popped open again.

"Racecar," she pronounced, laying down two tiles and a monopoly token, thereby clearing her rack. "And I’m feeling magnanimous: people who have tiles remaining get a fifty point bonus. Oh, and what do you know, I still win!"

Sherlock cast his eye over the board, nearly uninterpretable with its lopsided stacks, missing tiles, diagonal words, and random objects. “That was utterly depraved, Watson. And therein lies the Calvin connection, I presume.” He looked up at her. “Genius.”

"And you are an excellent conductor of light."

He laughed and snapped a photo of the board. "Best two of three?"

**Author's Note:**

> DVD commentary: [writing two clever characters in a cleverness contest](http://sanguinarysanguinity.tumblr.com/post/72935445269/dvd-commentary-score-q-to-12)


End file.
